


And I Think to Myself...

by dotgeebee



Series: Team SHITs (A CR British Boarding School AU) [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, except in rural England
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 12:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11013261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotgeebee/pseuds/dotgeebee
Summary: Vax is rudely awoken in the middle of the night by somebody playing the piano downstairs and is determined to work out who it is. Set after the Whitestone arc. A mixture of text conversation and normal prose.





	1. Chapter One

VAX [03:18]: Shut the fuck up dude what the fuck

VAX [03:19]: Scanlan you fucking fuck

VAX [03:21]: Shut the hell up

VAX [03:21]: Your piano playing is fucking shite

VAX [03:22]: I hate you and everything you've ever done absolute shitting dickhead

SCANLAN [03:22]: Dude

VAX [03:22]: Fucking FINALLY

SCANLAN [03:23]: Dude what the fuck

VAX [03:23]: Shut the fuck up

SCANLAN [03:24]: I was asleep you fucking wanker

VAX [03:25]: What

VAX [03:25]: Who's playing the goddamn piano then

SCANLAN [03:25]: Oh I thought I was imagining that lol

VAX [03:25]: Why would you be imagining that

VAX [03:26]: That makes no fucking sense

SCANLAN [03:26]: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

SCANLAN [03:27]: Wouldn't be the first time my dude

VAX [03:27]: Shitting fuck

VAX [03:27]: So if it's not you then who the fuck is playing piano at 3 in the FUCKING MORNING

SCANLAN [03:28]: Kaylie?

* * *

 

SCANLAN [03:29]: YO K-Meister

KAYLIE [03:31]: It is three in the fucking morning what the fuck do you want

SCANLAN [03:31]: Technically it's closer to four

KAYLIE [03:32]: SO HELP ME GOD I WILL CUT OFF YOUR SHITTY PONYTAIL

SCANLAN [03:32]: Language!

KAYLIE [03:33]: You literally told me to fuck off six hours ago

SCANLAN [03:33]: Yeah but you're 12 and I'm 17

KAYLIE [03:33]: Right.

SCANLAN [03:34]: Anyhoo!

SCANLAN [03:35]: You downstairs?

KAYLIE [03:35]: Nope

KAYLIE [03:35]: I'm in bed

KAYLIE [03:35]: Because it's three in the FUCKING MORNING

SCANLAN [03:39]: K

SCANLAN [03:41]: Nite

KAYLIE [03:41]: Excuse you?

KAYLIE [03:41]: No way

KAYLIE [03:42]: You did not just wake me up for some dumb question and then just fucking leave with no explanation I will strangle you with my bare hands and hang you from some goddamn rafters you FUCK

KAYLIE [03:43]: SCANLAN

KAYLIE [03:43]: FUCK YOU

* * *

 

SCANLAN [03:37]: It's not Kaylie

VAX [03:37]: Going downstairs

VAX [03:37]: If you follow me I will cut off your stupid fucking ponytail

SCANLAN [03:38]: WHAT IS WITH YOU PEOPLE AND MY PONYTAIL

VAX [03:38]: It's terrible and gross.

VAX [03:38]: See you in a bit


	2. Chapter Two

Vax looked one last time at his phone and rolled his eyes. He left it on the pillow next to him and climbed from his toasty warm bed to stand in his comparatively freezing bedroom. He pushed his feet into his slippers and grabbed his dressing gown off the chair, feeling slightly better at his prospects of surviving the freezing cold of the ground floor without underfloor heating. He crept past Percy, who was asleep on the spare bed they’d put up in Vax’s room.

Since their… “excursion” to Whitestone, Scotland, Percy had essentially moved out of Scotland and in with Vex and Vax, and so usually he would be in his own room across the hall but since the entire gang was here, Scanlan and Grog were in Percy’s room –on strict instructions to not touch anything or face evil retaliation– and Percy was in Vax’s room. After a few nights and an extraordinary number of bruised shins, Percy and Vax had quickly come to the shared agreement that perhaps two boys who both had terrible nightmares that they would prefer were kept secret trying to share a single bed was an all-round terrible idea. Hence the second bed.

Vax opened the door and stepped out onto the landing. From here, the piano music was much more distinct. In fact, what Vax had previously thought to have been odd composing he now realised was actually the pianist playing the same phrase several times before moving on to the next one. He tip-toed down the stairs, thankful for the slippers muffling his footsteps. Having eliminated Scanlan, Kaylie, and Percy from the running, Vax was admittedly now quite excited to discover which one of his friends was actually a master pianist and had kept it hidden for two years. Part of him was still convinced it was Scanlan dicking around, in which case, Vax was excited to find out whether the French doors were actually as bulletproof as they claimed to be.

Vax ignored the light-switches by the front door and shuffled towards the open door to the drawing room, where the baby grand was. He peered inside to see who was playing.

All the rude comments about the time of night and sarcastic comments about hidden talents and artsy-fartsy mumbo-jumbo suddenly disappeared from his brain as he slowly recognised who was playing the piano.

The size of the pianist threw him off a little, as well as the combination of what was apparently one of Vex’s silk monogrammed pyjama tops and a pair of Pike’s flannel Supergirl pyjama bottoms. The mousy brown colour of their hair was not particularly remarkable but Vax recognised it from the several times he had supervised Keyleth and Vex dying Percy’s roots his signature platinum blonde.

Cassandra’s hands danced across the keys, completely oblivious to the fact she was being watched.

She played the same short complicated phrase several times, each time ending on an odd-sounding note that made her mutter angrily to herself. Vax smirked. Percy did exactly the same thing when he practiced the viola.

Eventually, she gave up, closing the music book with as much drama as she could muster.

She took a moment and then her hands returned to the keys. She played a few slow chords to begin with and Vax listened intently. There was something familiar about them but he wasn’t sure quite what.

Vax heard Cassandra take a breath. She began to sing.

_ I see trees of green… _

Even if Vax wanted to say something at that moment, he would have been speechless. He hadn’t been expecting her to sing like  _ that _ .

_ Red roses too. _

Vax had become used to Scanlan and Kaylie’s energetic Broadway belting but Cassandra’s voice was so gentle and serene and genuine that Vax felt like he need to sit down. Although that was potentially something to do with the fact that it was almost four in the morning.

_ I see them bloom, for me and you. _

Vax smiled, entirely forgetting the fact that Cassandra was playing piano at four AM and had school tomorrow. Vax was not an expert on children or parenting, but he did rather suspect that eleven-year-olds were supposed to be in bed at this time.

_ And I think to myself… What a wonderful– _

Cassandra’s singing stopped abruptly and she turned around to face Vax, her cheeks bright red and what was apparently the signature de Rolo look of anger in her eyes.

Vax surmised that he had almost certainly been so lost in the song that he had joined in, rather clueing Cassandra into his being in the doorway to the drawing room and not in bed like everyone else.

“Vax.” She said, her voice barely more than a squeak.

“Sorry,” He said, stepping into the room. “I heard someone playing from upstairs.”

Cassandra frowned. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Vax lied. “I’m a bit of an insomniac myself.” He smiled at her.

The primary word Vax would use to describe Cassandra was ‘small’. It wasn’t that she was short –most Year 7s were around her height– or particularly skinny –especially with the amount of food Wilhand fed her every time she visited– but there was something about her that was just  _ small _ . She reminded Vax of a terrified rabbit, always freezing in shock or fear whenever she was confronted with a problem.

Cassandra looked especially small now in her mismatching oversized pyjamas and with an expression of bleary-eyed tiredness that most teenagers grew out of in favour of general indifference and irritability.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” Vax asked, sitting in one of the chairs nearest Cassandra. He was always overwhelmed by how unbelievably uncomfortable the seating in here was, given the fact that the furniture in the drawing room cost more than some entire houses, and that was before the Steinway.

Cassandra shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like sleeping in other people’s houses.” She said.

It seemed like a tame enough statement but from the bits and pieces Vax had put together about the kind of people the Briarwoods were, Vax was pretty sure there was something considerably more concerning lurking behind Cassandra’s words.

Vax nodded. “Because even though there’s no threat, you’re still worried because you don’t know where to hide when something goes wrong.”

Cassandra froze, as she always did, stammering and trying to find the words.

“I used to be you, dude.” Vax said, hoping he’d picked up some of his boyfriend and sister’s social skills.

“Pardon?” Cassandra’s oddly posh Scottish accent made Vax smile a little.

Vax leaned back in his chair. “I’m not saying I know what you’re going through –because I don’t–, but I think we have more in common than you might realise.”

“We do?” Cassandra asked. Her eyes lit up and she leaned towards Vax. Her enthusiasm made Vax’s heart ache. She seemed so lonely and so desperate to be loved. Vax wouldn’t mention it to either of them in case they took offence, but Cassandra reminded Vax of Vex just after they’d moved to America to live with Syldor.

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd that the only adult you’ve seen around here is paid to be here?” Vax asked. Even Vax was willing to admit that his living situation was truly bizarre.

“I assumed your parents were just always out of town?” Cassandra said, frowning slightly in confusion.

Vax smirked. He always found people’s fabricated explanations of where on earth his designated responsible adults were quite amusing. “Well, our father despises our existence and lives full-time in D.C., and our mother passed away when we were twelve so–”

Cassandra gasped, clapping her hands across her mouth. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. That was so insensitive, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry I said that.”

Vax hadn’t been expecting quite such a reaction. “No, it’s fine, you couldn’t have known.” He thought back to Gilmore’s usual oh-so-casual comforting hand-on-knee gesture. He reached out and took Cassandra’s hand. She flinched momentarily and then relaxed. “Syldor –our father– forced us to live with him in D.C. for a couple of years. Vex and I literally ran away across the Atlantic to get away from him.” Every time he told people this particular story, Vax was struck by the overwhelming realisation that it was probably the dumbest thing any twelve-year-old had ever done, which is saying something, given the nature of twelve-year-olds.

Cassandra wasn't quite sure what to say. “That’s a bit…”

“Extreme?” Vax suggested. He shrugged. “Probably. The point is I know something about bad parental substitutes and missing people you can’t get back.”

Cassandra thought for a moment. “Oh.” She said, finally.

“And I promise you, after literal  _ years _ of experience in this area, ruining your sleep schedule does fuck all to help you feel better.” Vax’s eyes widened as he instantly regretted his choice of language. “Oh, bugger, I shouldn’t have said that sorry.” Again? Seriously? “Oh, shiiii–” Vax really needed to learn some more PG-appropriate words. “Please don’t tell your brother I swore in front of you.”

Cassandra smiled for the first time in their entire conversation. It was a small smile but Vax felt triumphant nevertheless. “I won’t. To be honest, Kaylie swears so much I kind of tune it out.”

Vax had forgotten that Cassandra’s best friend was also Scanlan’s baby sister.

Vax didn’t know what to say next. He looked over at the piano. “I liked that song you were playing.”

“Oh.” Cassandra smiled awkwardly. Just like Percy, receiving compliments gracefully didn’t appear to be a skill of hers. “Thank you.”

“My mum used to play it on cassette in the kitchen. She’d dance and sing and twirl us round and round and round ‘til we felt sick. It always makes me feel better.” Vax couldn’t hide the smile that crept across his face. For the most part, Vax was beginning to learn to view his memories of his mother as happy snapshots he could cherish as opposed to perfect unattainable happiness he could never quite reach again.

Cassandra smiled a similar sort of smile. Sad but also sort of happy at the same time. “Father bought me a piano for my birthday. It didn’t arrive until after the fire so it was really one of the only material things I had left of my family. Except Percy I guess.”

Vax smirked. “I’m gonna tell him you called him that.”

“What?”

“A 'material thing'.”

Cassandra smiled for a moment and then a sort of confused sad look took over.

Vax figured it was something to do with mentioning the other de Rolo. “Percy’s probably not the same person you knew from before the fire but neither are you. It gives you a nice chance to get to know each other again.” Vax had no idea if what he was saying made any sense, let alone whether it was good advice or not. But it seemed to be having some kind of effect, which was… something.

Cassandra tensed, back on the defensive. “But you all already know new Percy. He’s  _ my _ brother. I should be the one who knows all his dumb quirks.”

Vax raised an eyebrow. “I mean I could list them for you if you wanted but you might miss the first two periods of school.” Cassandra laughed. Vax was surprised at how happy it made him. “It’ll take time, okay? But I promise you, you’ll get there. Even if it takes a PowerPoint presentation and a pop quiz.”

Cassandra recoiled in disgust. “I hate pop quizzes.”

Vax smiled. A girl after his own heart. “Don’t we all?” Vax remembered why he’d come down in the first place. He stood up purposefully. “Speaking of which, it’s very late and you have school tomorrow.”

Cassandra stood up too, folding her arms at him. God, she was so like her brother it was creepy. “So do you.”

Vax shrugged and headed out of the drawing room and towards the stairs. “Yeah but I’m anarchist teenager who does whatever the hell he wants because he has no parents, guardians, or boring older siblings to tell him what to do.”

Cassandra caught up with him, apparently for the sole purpose of raising an eyebrow at him. “Neither do I. Percy’s asleep.”

Vax grinned at her. “Oh, didn’t we tell you? We’re  _ all _ your boring older siblings. Vex and Keyleth were fighting over who gets to be Maid of Honour at your wedding and everything.”

Cassandra seemed slightly alarmed. “What?”

“Yeah.” Vax nodded. The fight over Maid of Honour had quickly devolved into a thinly veiled pissing contest between the two of them, as was irritatingly common at the moment, but that wasn’t the point Vax was trying to make. “Although Grog also thought he was in with a chance so take that with a pinch of salt.”

Cassandra let out a laugh as they turned the corner to the second flight of stairs. “He’d look pretty great in a bridesmaid dress, don’t you think?”

Vax shook his head in laughter. “Oh, my God.”

“What?”

He reached the top of the stairs and sighed. “Nothing. That’s just  _ such _ a Percy thing to say.”

“It is?” Cassandra looked rather pleased with herself.

“Oh, yeah.” Vax nodded sagely. “Old Mister Sassy-Pants would be proud of you.”

Cassandra looked sceptical. “You call him Old Mister Sassy-Pants?”

Vax shrugged. “It’s a term of endearment.”

“I see.” Cassandra said. She awkwardly gestured to her and Kaylie’s bedroom door. “Well, good night.”

Vax sighed. “Technically, it’s good morning.”

Cassandra groaned as the repercussions of her bad decisions finally hit her.

Vax chuckled. “I’ll get Vex to put on extra coffee.”

Cassandra opened her door. “Thank you.” She said, as she disappeared inside.


End file.
